You’ll need anything between £42,726 to £158,180 to buy enough space to swing a cat in London, according to a new map from Shelter and ethical creative agency, Nice and Serious.

Catswing was launched in partnership with the housing and homelessness charity to raise awareness of London’s housing crisis.

The interactive tool compares the amount of space needed to ‘swing a cat’ versus how much that space would cost in real terms.

Catswing forms part of Shelter’s campaign to pressure the government into building 250,000 more affordable homes, their petition Build More Affordable Homes has more than 11,000 signatures.

Tom McCarthy, campaigns officer for Shelter, said: “Until politicians build the affordable homes we need, millions will either be trapped in their childhood bedrooms or stuck in the rent trap, paying out dead money to landlords.

“Swinging a cat won’t build these homes – but going to this site and signing our petition will.”

The fun interactive map serves a serious purpose to highlight the cat-astrophic scale of the housing crisis in the city, with boroughs in south west London unsurprisingly among the most expensive.

Kensington and Chelsea will set you back almost £160,000 and in Battersea, moggy throwing will set you back almost £106,000, although this is also inadvisable owing to the proximity of the famous Battersea shelter.

Research by Shelter has revealed that a couple with one child will be saving for a deposit for 25 years before they can afford to buy a house in London.

In Chelsea, this number rises to 32.5 years, in comparison the average UK saving time is 13 years.

Latest government statistics, released in a report commissioned by Tessa Jowell MP, reveal that home ownership among 24-35 year olds has fallen from 59% to 36% in the last 10 years.

Mr McCarthy said Nice and Serious have done a great job designing a tool that demonstrates just how out of reach a home of their own has become for many.

Peter Larkin, Nice and Serious’ digital director, has said: “We think everyone deserves to own a space of their own, and ideally one that’s big enough to at least swing a cat!

“This is why we’re supporting Shelter and their campaign more affordable homes.”

Interactive map courtesy of Shelter and Nice and Serious, with thanks
Featured picture courtesy of Roanish, with thanks

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